Cable transportation system and method for transporting people or goods and clamp for a vehicle of a cable transportation system

Abstract

A cable transportation system for transporting people or goods defines an advancing path extending between two end stations and having a designated length L, and has a hauling cable looped into a closed ring and having a forward branch and a return branch, which extend between the end stations; at least one vehicle configured to be alternately advanced between the two end stations, and selectively and alternately clamped to the forward branch and the return branch of the hauling cable at the end stations; and a drive member for advancing the hauling cable along the advancing path and selectively stopping the hauling cable when the vehicle clamped to the hauling cable is at one end station.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A cable transportation system comprising:
 two end stations wherein an advancing path having a designated length extends between the two end stations; 
 a single hauling cable looped into a closed ring and having a forward branch and a return branch which extend between the two end stations; 
 a vehicle configured to be:
 alternately advanced between the two end stations, and 
 selectively and alternately clamped to:
 the forward branch of the single hauling cable at one of the two end stations, and 
 the return branch of the single hauling cable at the other of the two end stations; and 
 
 
 a drive member configured to:
 advance the single hauling cable along the advancing path, and 
 selectively stop the single hauling cable when the vehicle clamped to the single hauling cable is at one of the two end stations. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The cable transportation system of  claim 1 , wherein the forward branch and the return branch are parallel to each other and arranged side by side at each of the two end stations. 
     
     
       3. The cable transportation system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises:
 a frame; 
 a clamp arranged underneath the frame and selectively rotatably mounted on the frame about a rotation axis, the clamp comprising two jaws arranged on one side of the rotation axis and configured to selectively release and clamp the single hauling cable; 
 a control member configured to cause the two jaws of the clamp to open and close and arranged on an opposite side of the two jaws of the clamp with respect to the rotation axis; and 
 an actuator configured to selectively rotate the clamp about the rotation axis between two working positions arranged at 180° from each other. 
 
     
     
       4. The cable transportation system of  claim 3 , further comprising, at each of the two end stations, a spacing device for the forward branch and a spacing device for the return branch for pulling out the single hauling cable from the two open jaws, enabling the rotation of the clamp about the rotation axis at that end station, and inserting the single hauling cable between the two open jaws. 
     
     
       5. The cable transportation system of  claim 4 , wherein each spacing device comprises two rollers configured to selectively raise and lower a section of the single hauling cable. 
     
     
       6. The cable transportation system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises a bogie and a clamp mounted on the bogie. 
     
     
       7. A cable transportation method comprising:
 alternately advancing a vehicle along an advancing path having a designated length and extending between two end stations; 
 advancing a single hauling cable along the advancing path; 
 selectively stopping the single hauling cable when the vehicle clamped to the single hauling cable is at one of the two end stations; and 
 selectively and alternately clamping the vehicle to a forward branch and a return branch of the single hauling cable at the two end stations. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising guiding the forward branch and the return branch to keep the forward branch and the return branch parallel to each other and arranged side by side at at least the two end stations. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising selectively rotating a clamp about a rotation axis with respect to a frame of the vehicle for selectively arranging two jaws of the clamp at the forward branch in a first working position, and at the return branch in a second working position. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising opening and closing the jaws at each of the two end stations and in both working positions of the clamp. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising spacing the single hauling cable and the clamp apart and enabling the rotation of the clamp about the rotation axis at each of the two end stations. 
     
     
       12. A cable transportation system vehicle clamp configured to be arranged underneath a frame and selectively rotatably mountable on the frame about a rotation axis, the cable transportation system vehicle clamp comprising:
 two jaws arrangeable on one side of the rotation axis and configured for selectively releasing and clamping a hauling cable; 
 a control member configured to cause the two jaws to open and close and arrangeable on an opposite side of the two jaws with respect to the rotation axis; and 
 an actuator configured to selectively rotate at least the two jaws about the rotation axis between two working positions arranged at 180° from each other. 
 
     
     
       13. The cable transportation system vehicle clamp of  claim 12 , wherein the control member is arrangeable at a distance from the rotation axis less than a distance of the two jaws from the rotation axis. 
     
     
       14. The cable transportation system vehicle clamp of  claim 13 , wherein the actuator is configured to rotate at least the two jaws about the rotation axis in two opposite directions. 
     
     
       15. The cable transportation system vehicle clamp of  claim 14 , wherein the actuator is connected by a shaft housed in a seat of the frame. 
     
     
       16. A cable transportation system comprising:
 two end stations wherein an advancing path having a designated length extends between the two end stations and a single lane is defined between the two end stations; 
 a plurality of local lane redoublings between the two end stations, wherein the two end stations and the lane redoublings are distributed with a constant pitch along the advancing path; 
 a hauling cable looped into a closed ring and having a forward branch and a return branch which extend between the two end stations; 
 a plurality of vehicles operating along the advancing path, wherein each of the vehicles is configured to be:
 alternately advanced between the two end stations, and 
 selectively and alternately clamped to:
 the forward branch of the hauling cable at one of the two end stations, and 
 the return branch of the hauling cable at the other of the two end stations; and 
 
 
 a drive member configured to:
 advance the hauling cable along the advancing path, and 
 selectively stop the hauling cable when at least one of the plurality of vehicles is clamped to the hauling cable at one of the two end stations. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The cable transportation system of  claim 16 , further comprising a stop station at each lane redoubling. 
     
     
       18. The cable transportation system of  claim 16 , wherein the forward branch and the return branch are parallel to each other and arranged side by side at each of the two end stations. 
     
     
       19. The cable transportation system of  claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of vehicles comprises:
 a frame; 
 a clamp arranged underneath the frame and selectively rotatably mounted on the frame about a rotation axis, the clamp comprising two jaws arranged on one side of the rotation axis and configured to selectively release and clamp the hauling cable; 
 a control member configured to cause the two jaws of the clamp to open and close and arranged on an opposite side of the two jaws of the clamp with respect to the rotation axis; and 
 an actuator configured to selectively rotate the clamp about the rotation axis between two working positions arranged at 180° from each other. 
 
     
     
       20. The cable transportation system of  claim 19 , further comprising, at each of the two end stations, a spacing device for the forward branch and a spacing device for the return branch for pulling out the hauling cable from the two open jaws, enabling the rotation of the clamp about the rotation axis at that end station, and inserting the hauling cable between the two open jaws. 
     
     
       21. The cable transportation system of  claim 20 , wherein each spacing device comprises two rollers configured to selectively raise and lower a section of the hauling cable. 
     
     
       22. The cable transportation system of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of vehicles comprises a bogie and a clamp mounted on the bogie. 
     
     
       23. A cable transportation system comprising:
 two end stations wherein an advancing path having a designated length extends between the two end stations; 
 a hauling cable looped into a closed ring and having a forward branch and a return branch which extend between the two end stations; 
 a vehicle comprising:
 a frame, 
 a clamp arranged underneath the frame and selectively rotatably mounted on the frame about a rotation axis, the clamp comprising two jaws arranged on one side of the rotation axis and configured to selectively release and clamp the hauling cable, 
 a control member arranged at a distance from the rotation axis less than a distance of the two jaws from the rotation axis, the control member configured to cause the two jaws of the clamp to open and close and arranged on an opposite side of the two jaws of the clamp with respect to the rotation axis, and 
 an actuator configured to selectively rotate the clamp about the rotation axis between two working positions arranged at 180° from each other, 
 wherein the vehicle is configured to be:
 alternately advanced between the two end stations, and 
 selectively and alternately clamped to:
 the forward branch of the hauling cable at one of the two end stations, and 
 the return branch of the hauling cable at the other of the two end stations; and 
 
 
 
 a drive member configured to:
 advance the hauling cable along the advancing path, and 
 selectively stop the hauling cable when the vehicle clamped to the hauling cable is at one of the two end stations. 
 
 
     
     
       24. The cable transportation system of  claim 23 , wherein the actuator is configured to rotate the clamp about the rotation axis in two opposite directions. 
     
     
       25. The cable transportation system of  claim 23 , wherein the forward branch and the return branch are parallel to each other and arranged side by side at each of the two end stations. 
     
     
       26. The cable transportation system of  claim 23 , further comprising, at each of the two end stations, a spacing device for the forward branch and a spacing device for the return branch for pulling out the hauling cable from the two open jaws, enabling the rotation of the clamp about the rotation axis at that end station, and inserting the hauling cable between the two open jaws. 
     
     
       27. The cable transportation system of  claim 26 , wherein each spacing device comprises two rollers configured to selectively raise and lower a section of the hauling cable. 
     
     
       28. The cable transportation system of  claim 23 , wherein the vehicle comprises a bogie and the clamp is mounted on the bogie. 
     
     
       29. A cable transportation system comprising:
 two end stations wherein an advancing path having a designated length extends between the two end stations; 
 a hauling cable looped into a closed ring and having a forward branch and a return branch which extend between the two end stations; 
 a vehicle comprising:
 a frame, 
 a clamp arranged underneath the frame and selectively rotatably mounted on the frame about a rotation axis, the clamp comprising two jaws arranged on one side of the rotation axis and configured to selectively release and clamp the hauling cable, 
 a control member configured to cause the two jaws of the clamp to open and close and arranged on an opposite side of the two jaws of the clamp with respect to the rotation axis, and 
 an actuator configured to selectively rotate the clamp about the rotation axis between two working positions arranged at 180° from each other, 
 wherein the vehicle is configured to be:
 alternately advanced between the two end stations, and 
 selectively and alternately clamped to:
 the forward branch of the hauling cable at one of the two end stations, and 
 the return branch of the hauling cable at the other of the two end stations; 
 
 
 
 at each of the two end station, a control device configured to open and close the two jaws of the clamp of the vehicle when the vehicle is stationary and the clamp of the vehicle is arranged in either of the two working positions, the control device comprising a first control mechanism configured to cooperate with the control member of the vehicle when the clamp of the vehicle is in a first of the working positions, and a second control mechanism configured to cooperate with the control member of the vehicle when the clamp of the vehicle is in a second of the working positions, wherein each control mechanism is selectively moveable between a rest position in which that control mechanism does not cooperate with the clamp of the vehicle, and a working position in which that control mechanism cooperates with the control member of the vehicle and the clamp of the vehicle; and 
 a drive member configured to:
 advance the hauling cable along the advancing path, and 
 selectively stop the hauling cable when the vehicle clamped to the hauling cable is at one of the two end stations. 
 
 
     
     
       30. The cable transportation system of  claim 29 , wherein the forward branch and the return branch are parallel to each other and arranged side by side at each of the two end stations. 
     
     
       31. The cable transportation system of  claim 30 , wherein each spacing device comprises two rollers configured to selectively raise and lower a section of the hauling cable. 
     
     
       32. The cable transportation system of  claim 29 , further comprising, at each of the two end stations, a spacing device for the forward branch and a spacing device for the return branch for pulling out the hauling cable from the two open jaws, enabling the rotation of the clamp about the rotation axis at that end station, and inserting the hauling cable between the two open jaws. 
     
     
       33. The cable transportation system of  claim 29 , wherein the vehicle comprises a bogie and the clamp is mounted on the bogie. 
     
     
       34. A cable transportation method comprising:
 alternately advancing a vehicle along an advancing path having a designated length and extending between two end stations; 
 advancing a hauling cable along the advancing path; 
 selectively stopping the hauling cable when the vehicle clamped to the hauling cable is at one of the two end stations; 
 selectively rotating a clamp about a rotation axis with respect to a frame of the vehicle for selectively arranging two jaws of the clamp at a forward branch of the hauling cable in a first working position, and at a return branch of the hauling cable in a second working position; and 
 selectively and alternately clamping the vehicle to the forward branch and the return branch of the hauling cable at the two end stations. 
 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 34 , further comprising opening and closing the jaws at each of the two end stations and in both working positions of the clamp. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 34 , further comprising spacing the hauling cable and the clamp apart and enabling the rotation of the clamp about the rotation axis at each of the two end stations.